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Spectacular album! What a rocking trio and an enthused audience to egg them all on. Buy it for Congo Square and you'll love it for everything else. Interviewed John Mayall in the late 70's/early 80's behind another great album Bottom Line, and this is sublime!

This album was recorded live at two concerts in East Germany in 2017 and features Mayall singing and playing keyboards and harmonica in a trio format with long time bassist Greg Rzab and drummer Jay Davenport. It was produced by John and Eric Corne and includes old Mayall favourites like his own song “Streamline”, Lionel Hampton’s “Riding on the L&N” and an extended version of Sonny Landreth’s “Congo Square”, alongside more modern songs like Curtis Salgado’s jazzy “The Sum Of Something” and old blues like “I Feel So Bad” and Eddie Taylor’s “Big Town Palyboy”.

I really liked Mayall’s 2015 album “Find A Way to Care” (also produced by Corne) which concentrated on his keyboard playing – often overlooked in his bands where over the years the attention was often on his various guitarists and obviously this album also has this keyboard playing upfront. However, the rhythm section also play their part in keeping things swinging along nicely, they aren’t flashy letting John have the limelight but backing him all the way. Naturally these versions a very different to John’s previous covers and despite his age he can still deliver vocally while also playing keyboards as well as harp, although I’m not sure that the extended versions of “Tears Came Rolling Down” and “Congo Square” necessarily work on record. Nonetheless this is a worthwhile album which shows that John can still deliver and still has something to say.